The visitor centre at Cape Canaveral in Florida is launching its Heroes & Legends attraction, featuring the US Astronaut Hall of Fame, next Friday (11 November).

The centre hopes the installation will provide the context and emotional background to space travel and introduce the men and women who have led the way in the NASA space programme.

The new building, the architecture and entrance which is designed to simulate the journey to the stars, has three experiences including a 360-degree discovery bay, What is a Hero?, with a seven-minute presentation exploring how society defines heroism.

A custom-built theatre, Through the Eyes of a Hero, allows visitors to join NASA’s heroes on the most perilous stages of their journey thanks to choreographed lighting, sounds, images and special effects such as fog, mist, water spray and wind.

The third experience, A Hero Is…, uses holograms and augmented reality to allow visitors to interact with memorabilia that highlights the nine attributes of history-making astronauts: inspired, curious, passionate, tenacious, disciplined, confident, courageous, principled and selfless.

Therrin Protze, chief operating officer at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, said:"We’ve been focusing on a story to create what we consider a ‘launch pad’ for our visitors that really sets the stage for their full-day experience here.

"The opportunity to learn about the amazing attributes of our heroes behind the transformative and historical events that have shaped the way we look at space, the world and the future, will not only entertain and inspire guests, but lay the groundwork for their interactions throughout the rest of the visitor complex with our other attractions and space experiences."